A broad dual-band switchable graphene-based terahertz metamaterial absorber

A switchable graphene-based terahertz metamaterial absorber is proposed by using nonstructured graphene loaded with simple dielectric resonators, which can achieve both the broad and dual-band absorption with polarization-independent and wide-angle characteristics. The relative bandwidth of the two bands above 80% absorption reaches 97.8% and 31% in the frequency range of 0.473–1.407 THz and 2.273–3.112 THz, respectively. By changing the chemical potential of graphene, the state of the absorber can be switched from absorption (>80%) to reflection (>91%) over the two broad bands. Physical mechanisms of the broad dual-band switchable absorber are investigated by the impedance matching theory and the coupled-mode theory. The dual bands are caused by the Fabry-Perot resonance of dielectric substrate, the broad and high absorption originates from the appropriate impedance match between the absorber and free space. As the absorber is based on a monolayer nonstructured graphene loaded with simple dielectric resonators, the processing difficulty will be reduced greatly and it is easy to tune it through the bias voltage. This structure provides a new perspective to design broad multi-band absorbers and would have promising applications in multiple amplitude modulators, imaging and sensing.